How To Paint Anything

Tips, suggestions, and plain old-fashioned good advice for painting furniture to exteriors.

Working With Wood

Step 1: Start by checking for mildew or peeling paint from previous coats. You’ll have to clean and repair the surface as best you can to ensure a long-lasting, quality paint job. Fill in any holes with patching compounds or spackling, wait until it dries, and sand over with a fine grain. Clean the surface with warm, soapy water.

Step 2:In many cases, you’ll need to use special primers to seal the wood before painting. Wood is like a sponge soaking up solvent from the paint, causing it to dry prematurely. Also, without a primer, several layers of paint may be required to get an even color. And remember, paint with the grain!